FAQs
WHAT IS SEAMS BETTER?
How is Seams Better different from other clothing subscription boxes? Seams Better is a slow fashion subscription box service that delivers ethically made clothing right to your door. We vet every brand we partner with to ensure that they align with our core values: ethical treatment of people, animals, and our planet. All of our partners are thoughtful and transparent about their production practices.
Sustainability is such a buzz word. What does it mean? Usually, this refers to the environmental impacts of making, wearing and caring for, and the disposal of clothing. For Seams Better, this means choosing brands that place an emphasis on fabrics made from sustainable plant products (such as organic cotton, organic hemp, and tencel) or making use of deadstock or remnant fabrics (pieces of fabrics leftover from other projects). It means encouraging our customers to reduce their consumption of clothing – quite the opposite of what the fast fashion industry tells us to do! And it means we are committed to helping educate our customers about making their clothing last. BUT, true sustainability also refers to creating a sustainable living for garment workers through ethical labor practices such as safe working conditions and fair wages. This last piece is essential for Seams Better when we are researching clothing brands.
Are Seams Better brands fair trade certified? Not necessarily. Some are; other brands follow fair trade principles, even if they aren’t fair trade certified. Transparency is key, and we are happy to ask the important questions, so you don’t have to. Check out more on the 'Our Partners' page of this site to learn more about our brand partners.
What style is Seams Better? Right now, Seams Better primarily offers casual and trendy styles. We have some clothing items that veer into business casual and athleisure, and plan to include more robust business casual and athleisure offerings in the future.
Do you carry men’s clothing? Right now, Seams Better only carries women’s clothing. Shoot us a message if men’s clothing is something you’d like to see!
Do you carry children’s clothing? Right now, Seams Better only carries women’s clothing. Let us know if you’d be interested in a children’s box!
Is Seams Better size inclusive? We currently carry up to size 20, with an aim to expand our sizing options as we continue to grow. We regularly seek out brands that have a full range of sizes, and we’re always encouraging the ones that don’t to prioritize that.
HOW DOES THE SUBSCRIPTION WORK?
How do I start my Seams Better subscription? First thing’s first – take our style quiz! This will help inform us as we put together a box styled just for you! You can access the quiz from our Home page or the ‘How It Works’ page of this website. Once you complete the quiz, you’ll be prompted to pay the $25 styling fee for your first Better Box.
Yay! My Better Box has arrived. Now what? Once you receive your box, you have 5 days to try on your clothes and decide on your Keeps. Using the box they arrived in, send back any items you don’t want to keep. Your card is set to be charged – for your Keeps only! – 14 days after you receive your box, so be sure to return on time!
How often does Seams Better deliver boxes? Seams Better is a quarterly subscription box with one box per season. Our spring box is available March-May, summer is available June-August, fall is available September-November, and winter is available December-February.
Why just quarterly? I want my box more often. One of the key principles of sustainability is buying less. While we love getting ethically made goods into the hands of more people, and we’re so stoked that you want more of it, we’re committed to selling things that will last longer, so you won’t “need” new things as often as the fast fashion world has trained us all to think. Less is more, friendo, less is more. Plus! We’re a very small team, and our capacity is only so great. Quarterly cycles give us a chance to make sure we’re doing our best.
How much does a Seams Better subscription cost? Upon signing up, and in each subsequent season, you will pay a $25 Styling Fee. Once you try on clothes and decide what you’re keeping, we’ll credit that $25 back to you (toward one of your Keeps), so as long as you keep something from your box, the subscription itself is basically free! If you decide not to keep anything, that’s totally fine – we just won’t be able to return your Styling Fee.
Can I skip a box? Yes! Just email team@seamsbetter.com, and we can skip your next box for you.
Can I cancel my subscription? Yes! Just email team@seamsbetter.com, and we will cancel your subscription for you.
Do you honor online sales (discounts) for items in my Better Box? Yes! There are some pieces that are available directly for purchase through our Attic collection and still sent out in Better Boxes. If ever something is added to our Attic collection and put on sale, we will honor that sale price for any Better Box subscriber with a return due date after the piece goes on sale.
Example A: Item goes on sale May 14th, Customer's box should be in the mail to us by May 16th = eligible!
Example B: Item goes on sale May 14th, Customer's box should have been in the mail to us by May 12th (and customer did not reach out for an extension) = not eligible.
If you would like for us to honor a discount on a piece (that you've received in your Better Box) that is temporarily on sale, you must reach out with a request to honor that price before the sale ends. If the piece(s) are a part of a BOGO sale, the BOGO offering may not be combined with a piece in your box that is not a part of the BOGO sale.
Do you offer price adjustments if something I bought goes on sale? We do not offer price adjustments for flash sales, time-sensitive promotions, or temporary discounts, including those during Black Friday week. These limited-time deals are designed to provide unique opportunities for savings and cannot be retroactively applied to past purchases or orders. We carefully plan our pricing and promotions to sustain our mission of supporting fair labor practices and sustainable materials. While we strive to offer great deals, honoring discounts retroactively during flash sales could impact our ability to deliver on this promise.
SHIPPING AND DELIVERY
Where does Seams Better ship? We currently ship to all US mailing addresses. This includes all 50 US states. We hope to be able to ship to US territories, and all US APO, FPO, and DPO addresses in the future.
How much is shipping for my Better Box? We offer a flat fee shipping rate of $8.95 to send your box to you. There will be a free return shipping label included in your box for any items you choose to return.
Will there be tax on my Better Box? Because of the current size of Seams Better, we do not collect local tax for your pieces. We currently only have an "economic nexus" in the state of New Jersey. This does not mean your goods are tax free. We actually learned some cuh-razy things while setting up for this business. Did you know that you're supposed to list any un-taxed goods on your tax return at the end of the year? We didn't either. #themoreyouknow. Our tax liability will change as we grow, so you may see that we eventually take on that responsibility.
There is no tax on your $25 Styling Fee.
RETURNS AND EXCHANGES
How do I return things I don't want from my Better Box? We’re all about sustainability, so use the box you got from us to send back anything you don’t want to keep. Please put your box in the mail within 5 days of receiving it – don’t worry, we’ll send you a reminder when it’s time to return it! Don’t forget to use the free shipping label we’ve included in your box.
Can I exchange an item for a different size? Yes, you can! Just email team@seamsbetter.com with your exchange request, pack your current size up in the box we sent you (with any other returns), and we'll process the new size on our end and send it out to you! If this is a Better Box exchange, we will charge you for the new size upon shipment (along with any other Keeps). We're young and scrappy, so things are a bit less automated than you might be used to, but we've got you covered. Heads up: Should you decide you don't want your exchange after we've sent it to you, return shipping is your responsibility.
Can I return sale items? Yes! As long as we haven't marked anything as "final sale" (which we've never done so far!), you may return unworn items, with tags on, within 14 days of receiving them. Any returns and refunds from sale events will honor the nature of the sale.
Example A: You shop the BOGO sale and get a pair of jeans for $172 and a shirt that retails $68 for FREE. You decide to return the jeans but keep the shirt. Your total order no longer qualifies for the BOGO discount, and your refund will be $104 (the cost of the jeans minus the cost of the shirt).
Example B: You shop the BOGO sale and get a pair of jeans for $172 and a shirt that retails $68 for FREE. You decide to return the shirt but keep the jeans. Because you paid $0 for the shirt, you will be refunded $0. In this scenario, however, if you would like to exchange the $68 shirt for an Attic item of equal or lesser value (to the shirt), we will honor that exchange at the BOGO (aka - FREE) rate, plus the cost of shipping.